Strasbourg, 17/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament last Wednesday adopted the report by Imelda Read (PES, United Kingdom) on the proposed decision on the adoption of a multi-annual programme (2003 - 2005) regarding the follow-up of the eEurope action plan, the dissemination of good practice and the improvement of network and information security (Modinis programme). This vote will allow the next Transport/ Telecommunications/ Industry Council to convert the general guidelines decided upon by the fifteen member states last December into a common position (see Europe of 6 December 2002, page 11).
In its resolution, the Parliament emphasised the need to encourage greater participation of marginalised groups such as women, the disabled, the elderly and the unemployed in the information society. It has approved a proposal to set up a "cybersecurity" task force, as provided for in the 2005 eEurope action plan.
MEPs believe the work carried out within the framework of the Modinis programme on network and information security should be closely followed in the creation of this task force.
The Parliament has furthermore introduced a new clause specifying that the programme is available to EC and candidate countries. MEPs feel that the economic and social impact of the information society should not be considered purely in terms of competition, but also of social cohesion, to reduce the risk of increasing the digital gulf.
The programme covers the period from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 and has a budget of 25 million euros (the Council's general direction recalculated this envelope to 20 million euros). Once the Nice Treaty enters into force, the programme will be subject to the codecision procedure.